Potato Chive Monkey Bread
Published in Breads
This bread is fabulous eaten slightly warm, and particularly good with roast chicken. It can be kept, tightly wrapped, for 2-3 days, or it can be frozen. It can also be made, kneaded and left to rise overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, shape, prove, bake and enjoy.
Ingredients:
- 250 g peeled potatoes
- 15-20 g fresh yeast
- 60 ml lukewarm water
- 125 g butter
- 1 large bunch chives, finely chopped
- 30 ml sugar
- 10 ml salt
- 425 g white flour
Preparation:
- Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain them and reserve 250 ml of the cooking water.
- Mash the potatoes finely – you will need 175 ml of mashed potatoes.
- Melt half the butter. Dissolve the yeast in the water.
- In a large bowl, mix together the reserved potato liquid, mashed potato, dissolved yeast and melted butter. Add the chives, sugar and salt and mix thoroughly together – use your hand!
- Stir in half the flour and mix well in. Add the remaining flour, ¼ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Keep adding flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, but is still soft and slightly sticky.
- Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, and knead gently until it is smooth and elastic, using a minimum amount of flour while kneading.
- Place in a greased bowl, and let rise until doubled in bulk – 30-60 minutes.
- Brush a 1. 751 ring mould with extra melted butter. Melt the remaining butter and pour it into a shallow dish.
- Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and punch down. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into about 30 pieces, rolling each piece between the palms of your hands to make a small smooth ball. Roll the balls in the melted butter – you might need to melt a little more butter – and place them in the greased mould. Fill the mould and add a second smaller layer (about 12 balls) on top of the first layer.
- Allow to prove until the mould is full – about 30-40 minutes.
- Bake at 190-200° C for 40-45 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and starts to shrink away from the sides of the mould. Let cool slightly on a wire rack, then very carefiilly unmould. Turn upright and serve.
Makes 1 loaf of approximately 30 pieces.
